Kabal of the Crystal Daggers
The Kabal of the Crystal Daggers are a Kabal of the vile and murderous xenos race, the Drukhari. Although a minor Kabal, the Crystal Daggers formed from remains of the old Commorite nobility . Although having always carved a small place with a minimal influence on the intrigues of the Dark City, the upheavals of the last millennia shoots more and more towards difficulties to maintain themselves, pushing them inexorably towards their ends. Made their headquarters in an immense spire-fortress who make the most talented of the imperial architect palish with envy and desires , living with all the decadence and the perversity specific of their kind. They go raiding in the realspace with impeccable planning and perfectly synchronized assaults. The Archons bringing back slaves and booties with their Kabalites warriors adorned with showy armor and outfits, and endowed with quality weapons pay for a golden price at the Obsidian Rose History Before the Fall Long before Vect seizes the ultimate power and establishes the Kabal system, or even before Slaanesh exists and torments their souls. The future founding families of the Kabal, which were the house Xareir, Feilrak, and Lanirq, who all resided in the upper city of Commoragh. In those days, they became known as a simple merchants of precious stones and jewels of rare splendor.Their common areas of activity and the complementarity of their working methods, pushing them to forge a lasting business alliance pass in the blood among them who bound them. Having settled there because of the importance of the harbor who was Commorragh at those time, they amassed wealth and carved each a renown which made them climb in the hierarchy to the point of being among the Aeldari nobility; succumbing irreparably to the vices that will caused the Fall of their race. The Old Nobility Even after the cataclysmic event that saw the birth of Chaos God Slaanesh. Commorragh remained standing and proud in the Webway, with the noble houses at his head above the masses. The narcissism and egoism of those now called Drukhari, pushed the three families to quarrel more and more to the point of separating, to do their own business. Continuing to carve their palaces in proportions and crazy decorations, to satisfy their ego and the needs of cruelty and suffering who became vitals to their survive. They also developed their own troops and militias to go and plunder the worlds of the Materium. The Birth of a Kabal This status quo between them lasted for millennia until Asdrubæl Vect proclaimed himself Supreme Lord of Commorragh, and finally destroyed the influence of the noble houses following a plan meticulously prepared for eons. Having suffered each imploring loss and no longer protections; which would have sentenced them to disappear in the new Commorragh order. The three families decided to meet again and fuse for create their own Kabal. But ambition is stronger than anything in these accursed places, and while the powerful gathered on neutral ground to ratify and speak of their covenant. They betrayed each other, each wanting to reign alone with the strengths of the other two. The ensuing confrontation was short and brutal, and saw the Xareir prevail, while their leader, Wheikal decapitated the Lord Lanirq with a sharp crystal dagger, which gave their names to the new Kabal, birth by a final treason . The Crystal Daggers The news Archon Wheikal, after taking control of all the forces and eliminated the remaining thread, fused the domains of the other families with is owns with their technology, thus forming the Kabal's base of operation, repainting all the armor of the capabilities to the colors of is House, and creating many other buildings and alliances, in order to have the good graces of other the classes of commorite society for the raids. In particular, having traded regularly with the Knight House Akhemenes and their Lonely Kingdom before their discovery by the Imperium, having especially provided psykers to educate theirs in exchange of a large number of slaves. The slaves were traded in exchange for trinkets and common food who passe for treasure in this isolated areas, they were then brought with the slaves of their raids to inflate the numbers and pretend to be a powerful Kabal. A fangs in the throat The Overlord Wheikal Xareir knew his final fate on a hostile planet of the Segmentum Ultima in 347M37, while the Kabalite warriors plundered this world, he went off to slaughter personally the people who refused to surrender or be scared by is dreadful and charismatic presence. This world was Kalaris homeworld of the Kings Fangs chapter. In effect after centuries of preparation and manipulation the Dracon Fourhak Naëlame managed to launch a raid with Wheikal at his head, without the last knowing the nature of the world. Fourhar had calculated when the portals of arrival would be unavoidable following the volcanoes eruptions that shake the planet, such that only the men he had chosen could return by taking another portals. While Wheikal and these fidel or whorisk to compromise the ascension of Fourhak are trapped, then exterminated by the Space Marines. So to get rid of these rivals without him getting involved, Fourhak took entire control of the Kabal, and so it will be for the next millennia. The same blood One day, a Young trueborn Aeldari by the name of Elhaïr posing as his nephew holding a yong girl in his arms, came with a hundred slaves he had captured alone and asked to integrate the Kabal with is sister. Fourhak accepted, judging that the boys may be useful for is scheme. Over time the Archon became aware of the total devotion and loyalty that Elhaïr has for him, pushing him to give more and more responsibilities, such as planning raids and leading them, even going as far as make him is personal bodyguard from time to time. Although keeping an attentive and suspicious eye on him, having retained the lesson of his own perfidy, having pushed him into paranoia suspecting each raid he was forced to conduct to maintain his prestige and influence over his subordinates. But finally in 561M41, on the Agri-world of Veger II, the treachery of Elhair took form, because in reality he have given is loyalty to his sister, remaining at his uncle service for her agendas. To Betray is in The Blood While everything was going well during the raids, several regiments of the Imperial Guard suddenly appeared, taking the Drukharis by surprise. Fourhak's many discreet and cautious spotting was reduced to nothing, since in secret Elhair had warned the Nagasemaï Craftworld, who in turn warned the humans who were preparing to avoid the xenos scouts. Fourhak was forced to withdraw, without knowing the plots of his nephew, simply believing that his scouts had deceived him. He then unites them in his raider, slaughtering them painfully and slowly for their failure, before Elhair's blade pierces his heart. and destroy those remnants altogether preventing all resurrections. And whispered by the Kabalite that his death was only an incident due to blind rage. Surprising everyone, he did not use the death of Fourhak as a stepping stone to take his place. Instead, it was his half-sister Naïmaraël who became the Overlord of the Kabal. A Time of Great Change When the 41st Millennium approached its end, many changes occurred such as the appearance of the Tyranids Hive-Fleet or the awakening of the Necron Tomb-World, offering a bunch of whole new perspective. One of the most unexpected blow against them was surely the loss of trade with Pazhargades, who conquered by the Imperium following the Macarian Crusade no longer traded with them, their firepower Simply being too important to punish this affront. Nevertheless, nothing could prepare them for the events that ended this millennium. Ynnead's awakening and Yvraine's ascent as her emissary, destroying the barrier of Khaine's gates who protected Commoragh from daemons. The ensuing invasion penetrated the outer defenses of the Kabal Palace, causing extensive damage, before the daemons were finally confined to the Chasm of Woe, after long battles. All these events were in itself a cataclysm for the Drukharis, but nothing had prepared them for the unthinkable, the death of the Supreme Overlord Vect. Naïmarael went to the funeral of this one accompanied by his half-brother, as much to make a last homage as to see the new creations of the master Haemonculi Urien Rakarth. Although the rest of the event is known to all in the dark city, she refuses to talk about it, and anyone who tries to talk about this events when she can hear, is likely to get her wits about it. Since that day, the Archon is doing everything possible to restore the power of the Kabal and sends spies to gain any information that would please the major Kabals, before avoiding that his domains are found in turn into the Chasm of Woe. Notable Campaigns * Disaster in Tarakon 126.M36: After years of preparation, the Kabal launch an attack on the world of Tarakon outside the Ishtar Subsector, but even with the destabilization and distraction of the Lunar Venatorii regiments, they were able to reorganize faster than planned and forced the Shards of the Renderers to retreat before being exterminate by the guard, mostly the one of the Lunar Venatorii Cavalry like the later 487th. This signe their first major defeat in realspace, and since that day the Kabal swear to avenge this day and do a great number of raid in the surrounding area; waiting in the shadows for the perfect moments to strike. * The Sabotage in the Holy-Space 586.M36: The Kabal lauch an attack on the Shrine-world of Catha, when the humans who try to flee the planets, they can only go in a asteroïd fields before having forced to stop du to a lack of Energy cause by a sabotage of the motor. The Kabalite ship placed their aborded the space-ship now harmless. * The Blow of Mefirik 348.M37: The Kabal struck with force in fringes around Ishtar Subsector for the second time after multiple raids. When they attacked the Imperial world of Mefirik, the 156th Lunar Venatorii Light Cavalry Regiment, 236th Lunar Venatorii Dragoon Regiment, and 245th Lunar Venatorii Air Cavalry Regiment are send to counter the threat. But when they make their first step in the capital city, she explodes with approximately 1/8 of the planets, making her inhabitable, the Drukhari have determined in which place they will arrive and blow the portion of world they were landing to, herself protect by the stasis field they have preemptively place and Harvest the all worlds. * The Longest Night 423.M38: '''When the habitable zone of the Death-world of Burrow enter in his polar night, the population go in their huge bunkers and fortress in the hope of being spare by the climate. But soon strange events occurs as the generators and light suffers malfunctions, or the locals authority and man of powers who begins to disappear or founds dead when the darkness happened, at a alarming rate. When the normal civilians become the targets of this phenomenon who continue to grow on intensity, they begins to panic and run outside their fortress who became their tombs in hope of survive, only to find the Kabalite waiting for them outside. * '''The Hives Wars 509.M39: The Hive-world of Jeker II became to suffers from a lack of supply as their astropath found murders and the ship with food being attacked by Aeldaris Corsair. Quickly riots became to occur who transformed into a full civil war, the Arbites soon became outnumbered and without the possibility to call reinforcements. The civil war grows in intensity, and is in this moments than the Kabal strikes and takes down one by one the remaining hivers, isolated and shredded between the multiple gangs who continue their war. * The Bloody Opera 496.M41: The newly promoted Dracon Naïmaraël lunch her first raid on the Feudal-World of Mydelant profiting of a passage of a Harlequins Troupes. She infiltrated the capital castle with her troops pretending to be bard and merchants, on the night of a feast holds for celebrate some victories of the local, Naïmaraël décides to sing for the nobles after the departure of the Cegorach servants, she begins her own musical performances all the nobles suddenly get paralyzed due to a poison administrated by a Lhamaean that's make their ears bleeding and forced them to scream to the point of Breaking their vocals cords. The Kabalite then kidnapped the peasants and the other citizens, when the nobles are taken by the Dracon for their own use. * F-6624c Skirmish (Unknown Late.M41) The 412th Lunar Venatorii Air Cavalry Regiment The War Eagles consists of just one over-sized Company after suffering devastating losses defending the Frontier World designated F-6624c against Drukhari Pirates from the Kabal of the Crystal Daggers. * The Battle of Commorragh 999.M41: After the destruction of the Khaine's Gates, the fortress of the Kabal was assaulted by deamon of Khorne lead by the Bloodthirster Drafgahrthur. The Drukhari deployed all their firepower against the neverborn, unleashed weapons of old time, sending entire blocks of their Spire away in a attempt of stopping the red tides. If they manage to survive the battle, the majority of the external and internal defense and block of the fortress was now unusable. It will taking time until they manage to fully recover. * For the Blackstone Unknowns date.M42: When the Drukhari discovered the anti-warp property of the Blackstone, the Kabal lead an assaults with the Haemonculi of The Prophets of Flesh Coven in the Hive-World of Akras for distract the troops of the Forge-World of Oilnia who use the planets for manpower and manufactorum. Then the Drukhari can recolt some blackstone from the worlds of the system. They capture a great amounts of slave and stock of Blackstone they use as brick for rebuilt their fortress and makes inner wall with; in case of a next disjonction. Kabal Organisation Division The Kabalite Warriors are more or less equitably divided between the Shards and the Splinters. Each Splinters possesses 1,000 warriors, and each Shards has five Splinters Inside them, making a total of 5,000 warriors for them, the extra troops will be grant to each Dracon by the Archon as a reward or if this is needing. This is only in theory, in reality each Shards are more warriors and it's rare that their are actually five thousand. Not to mention the various vehicles, which are allocated according to the vagaries of the Overlord. It has its own armed group, smaller than the others but much better equipped than the rest of the Kabal composed of Trueborn and hordes of Incubis and other xenos mercenaries whose payments ensures a certain loyalty. List of the Shards and Splinters of the Kabal Initate Ritual To penetrate the ranks of the Kabal, the aspirant will have to go to the palace of this own without going through one of the secure ways, but by taking the passages of the lower city infested with horror. Once there, he will have to go to the deepest basement of the palace, in order to recover a bone of a monster freshly killed or one of their victim, with a single dagger and the traditional kabalite armour for protection, and then to return in the surface in only some hours. The bone recover will be crystallize and turn into a dagger that the new kabalite would proudly exhibit. Although it is the most common way to enter the Kabal, other means exists such as to impress the Overlord sufficiently to make it enter. Being a Trueborn also allows to enter without having to prove their values as the same way of the Halfborn. Raid Methods Plan Everything If all the Drukhari Kabals plan their raids meticulously, the Crystal Daggers have developed this trait to the point of obsession and perfection. Taking Vect as an example, he managed to plan his fruit-quick access to a very long, carefully thought-out plan. They therefore make detailed plans of how the raids will be executed at the minute ready. They will do everything to create the conditions that would allow it to achieve without unforeseen elements. Deploying spies and slaves mentally broken, and conditioning to obey, as well as using the technologies of the Haemonculi. Studying every corner, aspect and psychology of the worlds to be raids with patience and exemplary detail, which can last for years to make sure there is no problem. Going as far as studying the worlds to score from the one to target, before predicting the probabilities and the time that enemy reinforcements arrive. Prepare Everything When they have chosen the world, they develop a plan that takes every opportunity and every causal link into account to reap the maximum amount of slavery. They allocate their forces and those of their ally to lead it. While the Kabal prepares these forces for the fight, agents are sent to execute the first task of him, sabotaging the facilities of the future victims, insulating them slowly but surely without them realizing or suspecting that an attack is preparing, trap the fields of the upcoming battle, and rest in ambush. When all the elements are in place, harvest time can begin. Hit everything Emerging from Webway portals in their showy armor, they strike with a disconcerting rapidity. While the defenders try to repel the main strike force, commandos are sneaked through carefully placed passages to take them back, or to harvest their prey now emptied of their defenders, when the agents revealed himself in the defenses, spreading confusion and panic in their ranks. No corner of the planets are forgetting, every plot aggression on all sides and meticulously clean. Where most raids are only a matter of hours, they keep them going for days, until they can no longer take them in their ships and force them to return to empty them, and sometimes return before a proper defense begins to be put in place, or their plans begins to have too much variable due to the time pass. Note that they arrange Raiders only to transport the corpses of theirs, so that they are sent to resurrect. Without having to stop the raids. Notable members of the Kabal Naïmaraël "The Diva" Naëlame Supreme Archon of the Kabal of the Crystal Daggers after the death planned of her uncle, Trueborn with Exodite and Drukharis blood, she rule her Kabal with a iron fist always aware of every treason that could occur within the ranks of this subordinate with the protection of their brother that she hate. Second child of a Succubi of the Cult of Strife, she was destined to be raised to become a Wych, but his brother took her with him after he murders their mother and flee the Dark City for settled in a Exodite World, when she only have 50 years. But she's was unable to link with the spirits worlds and her souls begins to decay, so she's convince Elhaïr to return in Commoragh in their uncle Kabal. After her intronisation with the other Trueborn, she plots in the shadows for taking the place of Archons, demonstrated a talents for guessing the people feelings and reaction (and one for singing). With helping her when she's makes the plan who leads in Fourhak death and assure her position in the head of the Kabal. Even if she hate her brother and wish his final death, she can't resign to orchestred that. No one knows if his because she's in fact attach to him or if she don't wants to waste such a loyal tool. Paradoxically if she hates Yvraine her follower for all the trouble they cause, Naïmaraël is fanaticly devoted to the Whispering God, and try to please him by any means that will not cause a harm to his Kabal. Nothing would make her more joyful than being able to contemplate and fight with the Yncarne, to the point of always incorporating into her plans variants where he appears. Even though his dream still has not come true Elhaïr Naëlame Personal bodyguards of Naïmaraël and her half-bother in maternal side. Of Asuryanis blood, he possess one of the most rare and mocked traits in the Drukharis species, the honesty and blind loyalty. Is considered the best sniper and warrior of the Kabal Conceives and born under the Eye of Khaela Mensha Khaine, when his mother Asheira Naëlame rape a Autarch in the battlefield and later gives birth in another one. And so he was raised in the Cult under the supervision of this mother who places great hopes in him. But Elhaïr have other plan for his life, so he flee from the Cult and started a life of mercenary for 500 Terran years across Commorragh and the Galaxy. During his travel he encounter a group of rangers, he steal their Spirit Stone before killing them for nourrish his soul. At one time for reasons he only knows, he returns to see his mother and challenges her in a duel that he manages to win, and then trapped his mother soul into a Spirit stone before leaving with his young sister for a Exodite World, but they finally return to join the Kabal in the service of his uncle, before betrayed him. Since that day he remains at his sister service, protecting her despite the fact that she hate him. Rhaelo "Darkeye" Baroiki No one knows for sure what's the past of the Rhaelo before he enter the Kabal, some claim he was a Hellion who take his chance, other that is was exile by an other Kabal. All this rumor are probably spread by him, but what's now for sure is that he was one of the allied of Fourah in is ascension, due too the fact that is access to his position of Archon after his take of power. He's considered the most probable next Overlord and his only the better plan and influence of Naïmaraël protect by her brother who prevents him to access this seat. He have once visited a haemonculi for modifies his bodies for being like the one of a Mandrakes, with a dark skin and white hair. He's one of the best fighter, and he regularly uses the Mandrakes in his raids. He have also captured exodite beast whith a fire breath that he like to rides in combat. In have also on his possession a dagger made with teeth of a Clawed fiend. Kabal Apparence Colors The Kabalite Warriors wear a dark blue on their armor, while their pikes shine a crystalline glow in contrast. While the inner parts of their armor are in equally dark purple. Set The members of the Cabal are distinguished by their crystal pikes on their armor, as sharp as a diamond. This material is made from the bones of important or influential humans such as imperial nobles, inquisitors or even Spaces Marines, or their cousins of Craftworlds and exodite worlds, but also monsters who live underground of their residence fortress. In addition to taking their bones, they drape themselves with skins carefully and harmoniously make. Snatch slowly to be weaved immediately while the slave is forced to watch. Relations Allies Feel free to add your own Enemies *'Lunar Venatorii Regiments' As well as being the elite wing of the Astra Militarum in Ishtar, the Lunar Venatorii is the training ground for the Imperium's finest martial operatives in Cavalry and Armor outside of the legendary Adeptus Astartes. * 'Bloodmoon Hunters '''Since their first defeat in the Ishtar Subsector, the Kabal made a great numbers of raids in the Heimdall Sector. Naturally this leads to several conflict with the defenders of the Sub-Sector, who make them conts in the worst and one of the oldest enemy of the chapter. *'Oilnia Forge-world: 'The Forge-World have a grief against the Kabal since they took the noctolith they study, this and also the fact they slow their production lines by taking one of the Hive of Akras. Notable quote From the Kabal About the Kabal ''Feel free to add your own Category:Dark Eldar Category:Dark Eldar Kabals Category:Xenos Category:Ishtar Subsector